1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective clothing such as is used by motorcycle riders, rodeo riders, football players, snow mobile riders and the like. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a foam vest article of protective clothing having outermost armor plate in segmented portions spaced about the vest for the transmission of shock in a distributed fashion to the wearer forming protection thereto.
2. General Background
In the motorcycle industry, there is generally provided certain items of protective clothing in the form of helmets, kneepads, mouth guards, and the like. Generally these devices are manufactured of a hardened plastic which protects the rider's head and face area during collisions or when the rider falls from the cycle upon which he is riding. Similar problems face other sportsmen and athletes who ride like instrumentalities or animals which generate necessarily a great deal of speed that might produce injury or death in the event of collision, crash, or the like. Such dangers are apparent in many sporting events such as motocross, motorcycle riding, enduro riding of motorcycles, rodeo, snow mobiling, skiing, and the like.
Many of these sports are active sports requiring mobility and freedom of movement on the part of the participant, lest lack of mobility may cause injury or death on its own. There is a need for a simple, lightweight but protective article of clothing which would protect participants in the above sporting and athletic events from injury in the event of falls, collisions or other such trauma as accompanies such activity.
Most articles of protective wear which are accepted include protection for the head and face but leave exposed the chest and upper torso area. These areas have generally been unprotected because prior art devices have been too cumbersome, offer limited protection and were generally unworkable.
3. General Discussion of the Present Invention
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an article of clothing in the form of an apparatus for use by wearers who are participants in contact sports, which article affords protection in the form of shock absorption and minimization of injury to the wearer in the area from the neck downwardly to the portion of the torso above the abdomen at the waistline.
The present invention solves these prior art problems and shortcomings by providing an integral vest of lightweight shock absorbing material (as foam) which is covered by a plurality of spaced apart separate armor plates which can be integrally bonded to the foam vest on the outermost surface thereof where they are receptive of shock, trauma, blows, or the like as is generated in active sports events. The present invention further provides a closure for the forwardmost portion of the vest preferably in the form of a hingedly connected hardened plate of material which is affixed to one side of the front face of the vest, crossing the opening at the center forward portion of the vest and affixing during operation to the opposite side portion of the vest thereof by means of a buckle and web belt construction, for example.
Protection for the shoulders and upper arms can be provided in the form of shoulder pads or plate which are movably affixed in a flexible fashion to the vest by means of nylon webbing, for example, and which can be attached for movement with the arms by means of strapping.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a protective vest for use by participants in active sporting events which are accompanied by trauma, and physical contact such as, for example, motorcycle riding, motocross, skiing, rodeo, football, automobile racing, and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective vest for protection of the torso area of the wearer, for example, from an area adjacent the neck portion of a wearer and extending downwardly to the midsection thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for use in the protection of traumatic injury during contact sports which provides an inner cushioned surface abutting the wearer and an outer hardened impact resistant surface in the form of a plurality of panels as receptive of trauma and shock.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective vest apparatus which provides full 360.degree. degrees protection to the upper torso and chest area of the wearer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective vest apparatus having particular utility to the participant of contact sports such as motorcycling, skiing, automobile racing, and the like.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective vest apparatus for use by participants in contact sports which is effective in maximizing protection against trauma while minimizing restriction of movement of the wearer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of protective clothing for use in contact sports which provides exceptional shock absorbing ability even in high speed contact as accompanies extremely hazardous sports such as motorcycling, motocross, and the like where impact with immovable objects such as trees is an ever present risk to the participant.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article of protective clothing for use by wearers who are participants in contact sports which article of clothing can be fit to a variety of body sizes and shapes and to a variety of sizes and ages of participants including, for example, even small children.